


How to Share a Paopu

by AuroraHearts



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Fix-It, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, M/M, perspective changes, the paopu scene as seen by a soriku stan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 20:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19911484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraHearts/pseuds/AuroraHearts
Summary: An extended retelling of the paopu scene from KH3 with added Destiny Trio & Soriku goodness.





	How to Share a Paopu

“Come on, Sora, the sun’s almost set!” 

Kairi didn’t want to admit out loud that it could be their last sunset on Destiny Island, so she didn’t. They were all under enough pressure, tomorrow being the day they finally confront Xehanort and the Real Organization XIII. At least they were given the gift of returning home one last time.

No, this wasn’t going to be the last time. They were going to get through this. They had to. For the worlds, and for each other.

But they couldn’t be certain, could they? Either way, she wasn’t going to let this moment be wasted.

Kairi smiled as she listened to Sora’s footsteps behind her, thumping across the bridge to the tiny island that housed the bent paopu tree they watched so many sunsets on. They’d walked across this bridge so many times at so many ages, so many memories, so many understandings of light, darkness and friendship. She thought of what this night meant...of what they had to lose.

As Kairi stepped onto the soft sand of the tiny island, she was thankful for this moment with her best friend. There was never a time he hadn’t been there for her, from the moment she first opened her eyes on the island, to protecting her heart from the onslaught of darkness.

She didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t want to lose any of her friends.

Kairi pulled herself up onto the paopu tree with the grace of a princess. She daintily straightened her skirt as Sora hopped up onto the branch beside her. It seemed to get easier for him the older and taller he got—something else she hoped would continue beyond this day.

The sky was breathtaking with oranges and reds dancing together on the horizon. Even though the temperature was cooling for the evening, the heat of the sun’s rays warmed their faces as they silently enjoyed the serenity of the ocean before them.

Kairi’s heart was beating ever so slightly faster than normal, not only with the thought of tomorrow’s battle plaguing her mind, but because she had something more than watching the sunset planned for this moment. She had secretly snuck out to the island earlier and used an Aerora spell to dislodge three paopu fruits from the top of the tree. She had stashed them in her bag, hoping she would have the opportunity to share the good luck charms with her friends.

Kairi turned and smiled warmly at Sora, her hands placed delicately on the branch to keep herself steady. When Sora turned his head to return her smile, however, something behind her caught his attention. Curious, Kairi turned her body to look in the direction of Sora’s gaze. Riku sat on the nearby beach, also admiring the sunset. His expression appeared stoic and distant—not a departure from his usual demeanor.

“Hmm. Hey, why’s Riku all alone?” Sora asked.

“He said he needed time to himself,” Kairi responded. It was true, actually. On their way to the island, Kairi had suggested to Riku that they all watch the sunset together on the paopu tree, like old times. Sora had been piloting the gummiship through an asteroid field at the time, so he hadn’t heard Riku reply that it was a great idea, but that he needed some time alone first. “Let’s let him be.”

Sora hummed, eyes glued to the beach. Kairi sighed as a slight pang of envy overcame her. She knew once Sora’s attention was on Riku, it was hard to tear him away. It had always been that way. 

She decided to take a chance. 

“Here!” Kairi presented one of the paopu fruits to Sora.

When the paopu appeared in front of him, Sora looked genuinely shocked. He leaned back and shook his head in confusion, glancing frantically back and forth between Kairi and the paopu. “Huh?!”

Kairi was slightly taken aback by Sora’s reaction. It was so unlike him. He looked almost... _ uncomfortable _ . 

She tried not to let her self-confidence crumble as she held up the fruit. Why wasn’t he smiling? Why wasn’t he  _ saying  _ anything? He looked for a moment like he wanted to, but instead his gaze dropped to the paopu, then back up to meet her eyes with  _ sadness _ . But something else had happened, too. It was subtle and quick, almost unnoticeable. 

He had looked past her. He had glanced at the beach. Whether he realized he’d done it or not, he had looked at Riku.

That’s when it all clicked. Kairi had always suspected in the back of her mind that Sora had feelings for Riku, even if he wasn’t aware of it yet. 

The sadness in his eyes broke her heart. Did he think she was trying to convey something more than friendship to him? She had felt those feelings in the past, and she was pretty sure he had too, but they had both grown apart over the years. That was the thing that terrified her.  _ That’s  _ why she was doing this. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.

She had to say something.  _ Say something Kairi. _

“Tomorrow’s fight will be our toughest yet. I want to be a part of your life no matter what. That’s all.” Would that be enough to convince him? Why did saying those words bring sorrow to her heart? Why did she feel like this was a goodbye?

Sora finally accepted the paopu. “Kairi, I’ll keep you safe.” There it was—that smile she loved. That smile everyone loved. Her heart filled with joy seeing it on his face. No matter where she was or what darkness threatened her, she only needed to picture his smile and she knew everything would be okay.

But he deserved protection, too. He deserved to know that she had his back no matter what, in any darkness, Keyblade or not. She smiled and shook her head. “Let  _ me  _ keep  _ you  _ safe.”

As they held the paopu up to each other’s lips, the cave drawing they had made as children flashed into Kairi’s mind. Ever since she came to the island, he had been there for her. He had made her feel welcome. Like she belonged somewhere.

She took a bite of the fruit and savored the taste—savored this moment. As she gazed into his eyes, she knew that no matter what, a piece of her would always be in his heart, and a piece of him would always be with her.

~~~

Riku tried to ignore the knot in his stomach as he crossed the bridge and approached the tree. He tried not to let it consume him. Tried not to let his emotions eat him alive. But they were right in front of him, sitting on the paopu tree together, silhouetted against the setting sun.

It was horribly romantic.

He loved them both. He did. They were both his treasured friends. But one meant more to him. 

Only one was his most precious person. 

As he approached, they turned suddenly as if they had been caught doing something taboo. Apprehension burned in Riku’s chest until bright smiles formed on their faces.

“Riku!” Sora’s cheerful voice greeted him first, and he swore the sun shone a little brighter.

“Good, you’re here,” Kairi’s upbeat voice snapped Riku out of his daydream. “The sun’s almost set. We can watch it together like we used to.” Kairi smiled warmly at him, but he could sense the slightest bit of uneasiness in her voice. Riku nodded and moved to stand next to them with arms folded, leaning back against the tree—like old times. 

The three of them had always protected each other. Tomorrow he would fight for both of them. But only one would he protect without fear or doubt. 

Only one would he be willing to sacrifice his life for.

The sun continued its descent on the horizon, casting a warm glow on the island. The wind rustling the leaves of the trees and the lapping of waves against the shore reminded Riku that he was home. For now. He wondered if this was the last time they would ever be together like this. He didn’t want it to be the last time.

“Oh!” Kairi’s voice broke the quiet moment, and by the time Riku looked up, she was already holding a paopu fruit. Another one? Hadn’t she just shared one with Sora? “Riku, share it with us? So we’ll all be connected. Forever.”

Riku’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the paopu. He truly hadn’t expected Kairi to offer him one. Did the paopu shared between her and Sora not mean what he feared it meant? Or did it, and this was something else? Why was he so hung up on the meaning of a damned fruit?

A giggle escaped Kairi’s lips. “You’re both so melancholy, geez. Cheer up!” She looked to Sora with a gentle smile. “Sora, scoot over so Riku can join us.”

“Right!” Sora moved closer to Kairi, who also shifted to make room. Riku wasted no time in hopping up next to Sora, the trio now sitting hip to hip.

“Now, everyone put your hand on the paopu. We’ll each take a bite, and promise to watch the sunset together again. We’ll meet right here, on this tree, after it’s all over.” Kairi held out the paopu so both boys could reach.

“Yeah!” Sora smiled widely as he brought both hands up to grab the fruit in front of him. “We’ll always be together. Forever!” Sora looked from Kairi to Riku, the brightness of his smile rivaling the sunset.

“Forever,” Riku suppressed a blush and added his hand. 

They let Sora take the first bite, then moved the paopu to Riku’s lips, then to Kairi’s, the connection never broken until all three had chewed and swallowed their bittersweet pieces.

Riku wondered; Were there different meanings in the different ways of sharing a paopu fruit? Technically, he had shared one with Sora years ago on the very bridge he just crossed, but there was no contact between them, and it was meant mostly in jest (mostly…). Sora had thrown it into the sea, but not right away, and there had been hesitation in his voice. Riku would never admit it, but he had gone back to the beach that day to find the fruit Sora tossed away, picking it up and staring at it for a very long time, trying to sort out feelings he didn’t know how to process. He had ended up smashing it and throwing the pieces far into the ocean, hoping his feelings would disappear with them.

Sora and Kairi had just shared two fruits between them, feeding them to one another. What had the exchange meant to them? What had they said? How  _ would  _ Sora react to someone confessing to him?

If Riku got a second chance to share a paopu with Sora, how would he do it...?

~~~

Sora sighed happily, loving the feeling of being sandwiched between his two best friends. The closeness allowed him to feel their warmth against his skin and smell their unique scents that had brought him comfort his entire life. He never wanted to be without either of them. They were his strength.

Feeling overwhelmed with warm fuzzies, Sora decided to reach both his hands out simultaneously toward his friends’ hands on either side of him, keeping his eyes on the horizon.

Kairi’s was easy. His hand rested on top of hers and squeezed gently. Ever since she had appeared on the island, he had wanted to make her smile. He wanted to protect her with all of his heart, now and forever.

Sora’s left hand, however, was doing something unexpected. It hovered over Riku’s hand and trembled nervously. When he glanced over, he was suddenly captivated by the fact that Riku was sitting so close to him, and his stomach did a somersault he was not ready for. In response he sucked in a sharp breath, which caused Riku to turn his head. Sora quickly recentered his gaze and tried to focus on the sunset. Except now his heart was beating fast and he couldn’t concentrate.

_ What’s happening?! _

A soft giggle from his right calmed the butterflies just a bit. Kairi gave his hand a quick squeeze then hopped off the tree and started making for the bridge.

“Kairi, where are you going?” Sora questioned.

Kairi stopped and winked in their direction. “It’s okay. You guys enjoy the sunset together. Come find me on the pier later. We’ll all watch the stars come out.” With a smile and a wave she hurried on across the bridge. 

Sora turned to watch her leave and made a sound of concern. “Hmm, why did Kairi leave? Is she okay?”

Suddenly realizing he was alone with Riku on the paopu tree, Sora’s stomach butterflies returned in full effect. He still wasn’t quite sure what they meant. Riku remained facing the horizon, unmoving, eyebrows furrowed. He hadn’t said much at all since Sora shared the paopu with Kairi. Wait...was he upset about that?

Suddenly nervous, Sora rubbed the back of his head with one hand and returned the other to his lap. “Um, so, I know you saw Kairi and I share the paopu earlier. Sh-She, uh, she just handed it to me suddenly, and I didn’t want to disappoint her, ya know?” Sora fidgeted and stared down at his shoes. “I-It was a good luck charm, for the battle tomorrow. I’m glad she had another one, so we could share it with you, too.” He stammered the words nervously, hoping Riku hadn’t gotten the wrong idea. Wait, why was he worried Riku had gotten the wrong idea?

Sora’s emotions swirled inside of him. Why did he feel so guilty all of a sudden?

Without a word or a glance, Riku hopped off the tree. He got back up on Sora’s other side and started climbing up toward the leaves. Sora was surprised at how easy it seemed, as if he had done it a hundred times before.

The tree vibrated as Riku slid back down and settled next to Sora again, a fresh paopu in his hand. Did Riku want to share a paopu too, just the two of them? Sora couldn’t stop the smile that came to his face and the fluttering in his chest.

Riku gripped either side of the paopu and bent it, pushing his fingers into the flesh and straining only slightly until it snapped in half. Juices flowed freely from inside, down Riku’s fingers onto the ground. 

Sora felt his cheeks heat up. So he really did want to share a paopu with him. One single paopu between both of them. Their destinies intertwined. Forever. Sora looked up at Riku and slowly reached out his hand...

That’s when Riku tossed one half of the fruit into the ocean.

_ Huh? _

Sora sat dumbfounded and retracted his hand, a little embarrassed. Did Riku not want to share the paopu with him? Why was he being so quiet? “Riku, is everything okay?”

Riku finally gave Sora a soft smile and nodded slightly. And...was his face just a little redder?

Slowly, Riku brought the paopu up to his lips and took a bite out of the center of the soft flesh. Sora watched every movement intensely, sitting up in anticipation when Riku lowered the fruit from his mouth and turned toward him. Riku gently touched Sora’s cheek with his free hand, fingertips in his hair, still slightly sticky from the juice. He leaned in until their noses almost touched, staring softly into Sora’s eyes.

On the inside Sora was crying out in exhilaration, desperately wanting to express what he felt in this moment, but he completely forgot how to speak, managing only the tiniest of nods.

Riku paused for only a moment longer before closing the gap between their lips. Sora’s eyes fluttered closed, allowing the sweet sensations of paopu and Riku to consume him. 

This moment was everything his heart had ever dreamed of, and his mind had finally caught up. Every sensation of friendship and love he had ever felt for Riku overwhelmed him the moment their lips met, and he finally knew where home was. He knew exactly what he was fighting for. What he vowed to protect.

A moment later he made a noise of surprise as a piece of the paopu Riku had bitten off pressed against his lips. He slowly parted them to let it slide inside.

Sora’s brain melted, followed by his body, his heart—everything he could feel was now mush. He wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck, who returned the embrace and pulled their bodies together until not a bit of sunlight passed between them. Sora pressed into the kiss further, their bodies relaxing against one another, but arms desperately holding on like it was the last time they would ever touch.

After what felt like an eternity, their lips parted slowly. Each chewed their half of the paopu then opened their eyes and swallowed, every movement completely in sync. Their grip on each other finally relaxed as they stared into each other’s eyes, still in an embrace, faces flushed, eyes glazed over.

They simply sat, lost in each other until the sun finally set, and Riku finally spoke.

“ _ That’s _ how you share a paopu.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Comments & kudos welcome ♥
> 
> Thank you to TalysAlankil & iHasMagic for beta-reading! ♥
> 
> Geek out with me on Twitter about Soriku! [@AuroraHearts_](https://twitter.com/AuroraHearts_)


End file.
